North West rail passengers have been among the first to experience the newly refurbished Pendolinos after it return to service today.
The trains form part of the 56-strong Avanti West Coast fleet which has been undergoing a £117m upgrade programme.
The improvements being made include new, more comfortable seats, a revamped shop and better on-board customer information.
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Passengers onboard today's (Monday) 5.05am Manchester Piccadilly to London service were the first to travel on the upgraded Pendolino.
It then formed the 8.07am to Liverpool, and the 10.47am back to London Euston.
The remaining 55 trains will receive the same treatment as part of the upgrade programme, with the second set due back in service early next month, the Liverpool Echo reported.
Rail manufacturer Alstom is undertaking the work at its new depot in Widnes, Cheshire.
The upgrade programme will run until 2024 when the last of the 560strong fleet is expected to leave Widnes. The fleet is made up of 35, 11-carriage trains, while the remaining 21 have nine carriages.
The former will undergo the refurbishment first, with one of the 11 carriages converted from First Class to Standard to provide more than 2,000 extra Standard Class seats. Once all 35 of the longer trains are finished, work will start on refurbishment of the shorter nine carriage trains.
Rail Minister Wendy Morton MP said: "The iconic Pendolino is back and better than ever before. This refurbished version of the classic fleet is a fantastic example of our cutting-edge rail network and how our railways are leading the way in creating a cleaner, more environmentally friendly and modern transport system."
Managing director of Avanti West Coast Phil Whittingham added: "This investment has been one of the key promises to our customers and they will see a dramatic transformation of our well-loved fleet.
"The refurbished Pendolinos look and feel like new trains with state of the art technology as well as brand new seats that promise best-in-class comfort."
Peter Broadley, managing director services at Alstom, said: "Our team at Widnes have created something amazing and we are incredibly proud of the final product. We hope it secures the future of the Pendolinos on the West Coast for many years to come."
